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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. march — music
  4. bound — tied together
  5. march — the month
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. drill — a practice
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. march — the month
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. land — a country
  14. bound — obliged
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. land — ground
  17. land — to come down
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. drill — the tool
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. drill — army training

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com